Regularly I get e-mail messages telling me about taxing e-mail, about sending cards to hospitals to help terminally ill kids, about Bill Gates paying me money to test the next version of Windows, about alligators in the sewers of New York, about....  you name it. 

Before you do anything silly, like telling all of your friends that aliens are invading Rochester, wouldn't you like to make sure your facts are accurate? Test out any strange "send this to everyone you know" messages at some of the following sites:

Is the Virus Real or a Hoax?

SARC - Virus Hoaxes - Symantec's Anti-Virus Research Center where they can tell you whether a virus is real or not. This site has a search capabilities.

Hoax alerts from F-Secure - F-Secure has put up this page as an information source for both real viruses as well as virus hoaxes and false alerts.

Computer Virus Myths home page - This web site has an A to Z list with search capabilities.

CIAC Internet Hoaxes - This web site is provided as a public service by the U.S. Department of Energy. They focus on the kinds of messages that we hear about via e-mail although it may sometimes have messages about viruses. For example, did 'ya hear about the Goodtimes Virus? "Goodtimes will re-write your hard drive. Not only that, but it will scramble any disks that are even close to your computer. It will recalibrate your refrigerator's coolness setting so all your ice cream goes melty." You know, that kind of stuff. This site also identifies chain letters on the Internet.

Don't Spread that Hoax! - This web site provides information on "Misinformation", "Classic" Urban Legends and Myths, also Business and Government myths.

"Harmless Pranks" & Urban Legends

April Fools on the Net - This web page is not to be taken seriously. Don't think it has been updated in a few years, but has some great stuff.

Urban Legends and Folklore - from About.Com - More information than any person could possibly want with many links to other sites.

My Personal Favorite Virus Hoaxes - As I received them. See the comment on "Goodtimes" above?; this includes "Badtimes"!

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